POOR COMPLIANCE WITH Rx MEDICINES
BEDEVILS HEALTH CARE

Millions of Americans are failing
to take their prescribed medications
correctly, and many are
simply neglecting to take their
prescriptions at all, concludes a
new report from the National
Council on Patient Information
and Education (NCPIE).

As a result, the
group warns, many
patients put their
health at risk unnecessarily
by allowing serious
medical problems
to go untreated. People
with diseases that
are initially symptom-free are at
particularly high risk of skipping
or neglecting medication, according
to the NCPIE.

?Although high blood pressure
more than triples the risk of heart
disease, for example, just 51% of
patients stick with their prescribed
antidote,? said the researchers.

The NCPIE report, however,
concludes that a broad range of
Americans, from senior
citizens to teenagers,
rank poorly in
their adherence to
needed medications.
The current high levels
of medication
nonadherence are
placing huge financial
pressures on American
health care, according
to the report.

Poor adherence to prescribed
medication can cost an extra
$2000 a year for each patient in
extra physician visits alone, and
nationwide the problem may be
costing the country $177 billion
in medical bills and lost productivity.